Good, Grains! Sprouted Whole Wheat Features In Our Seasonal Cookie

As much as we love our veggies, it’s no secret that we also love indulging in delicious bakery items. And yet, white flour lacks the healthy oils, vitamins and minerals found in whole wheat kernels. While our Crunola raw granola has always been made with sprouted buckwheat groats, our new Sprouted Whole Wheat Oatmeal Chocolate Cookie is made with sprouted whole wheat flour.

Ready to learn why we have a major sweet tooth for sprouted whole grains? Read on!

Unlike traditional white flour, sprouted whole grain flour is a plant food made by intentionally sprouting whole grains before milling them into powdery flour. To understand this process, simply picture a grass seed sprouting into a vegetable before being dried and milled!

Sprouted whole wheat berries before being dried and milled

The finished product — in which the whole grain has been germinated into a living plant — includes the plant germ, bran and endosperm. And, because the grain was sprouted into a plant before being ground, the body recognizes it as a vegetable in digestion!

Not convinced yet? Check out some of the benefits of sprouted grains below.

1. Increased Nutrient Density. The nutrients in whole grain kernels are typically dormant until the plant begins sprouting to life. So allowing kernels to sprout before milling ultimately increases the nutrient content of the food in which the grains are used!

2. Better Digestion. The body recognizes sprouted whole grain flour as a vegetable, the easiest food to digest. And, sprouting grains increase amylase activity and digestion-facilitating bacteria like lactobacilli – making digestion not just easier, but more effective!

3. More Energy. Rather than being stored as fat, whole grain starches are converted into simple sugars that the body burns as energy.

4. Weight Management. Sprouted whole grains take longer to digest, thus keeping you fuller longer and reducing glycemic response. This is good news for those looking to keep hunger at bay, as well as for those affected by Type II diabetes!

5. More Good Stuff. Since grains remain whole, they retain the bran—the ‘yolk’ of the grain where most of the vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals lay. Sprouting even increases levels of Vitamins C, B and carotene – all of which aid in your body’s absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc during digestion.

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Who knew flour could be so wholesome? Ready to try it out? Head to your local LPQ to check out our Sprouted Whole Wheat Oatmeal Chocolate Cookie! Or, try our breakfast favorite from our pantry, Crunola® raw granola, which is made with sprouted buckwheat groats.